dorset

GoogleEastbound journeys on the A35 Christchurch bypass are expected to take up to an hour longer during the closuresA business owner has said planning her day around roadworks has become "impossible".The eastbound A35 Christchurch bypass in Dorset has been shut from Fountain Way roundabout since Monday and will remain closed until 06:00 GMT on 10 November.Ellie Maclane runs a dog walking business in and around the town and said she sat in traffic for more than an hour…

Tributes have been paid to a mother described as a "fun loving free spirited soul" after she was killed in a car crash.The crash involved a black Kia Niro and a grey Peugeot 107 on the A37 near Maiden Newton, Dorset, on 22 October shortly before 17:35 BST. Catherine Gray, 49, from Weymouth, the driver of the Peugeot, died at the scene.In a statement released by police, Ms Gray's family said: "Catherine, also known as Cath, lived for…

BBC Radio Solent's Steve Harris investigates the Sandbanks fence that's dividing opinionResidents on Dorset's exclusive Sandbanks peninsula say they are seeking legal advice over access rights to a beach after it was blocked off by a fence.Public footpath 82 runs from Panorama Road down to the edge of Poole Harbour and had previously been used by locals to access the beach and foreshore.But a sign now warns people to stay within the 1.8m-wide path, adding: "Trespassers will be…

Trevor Bevins,Local Democracy Reporter and Tristan Pascoe,Dorset Political ReporterDorset CouncilDorset Council said that national planning policy required it to expand its scope for new housing sitesMany Dorset sites identified for residential and commercial development are likely to be rejected because they contravene national policy or do not have the land owners' consent, according to one councillor.Former council leader Spencer Flower says there has been "a significant amount of public unrest," over some of the sites identified in the…

Firefighters have worked through the night to put out a fire at a thatched cottage in the New Forest.The blaze broke out at the house on the A35 Lyndhurst Road in Hinton on the Hampshire/Dorset border on Monday shortly before 21:00 GMT.Firefighters in 10 fire engines from Hampshire and Dorset Fire and Rescue Services along with an aerial ladder platform worked into the early hours of Tuesday to bring the flames under control.The fire service said there was…

DS Pugh/GeographLittle Green Change rejected a £4,825 grant offer from South West WaterAn environmental group says it has rejected a grant from a water company's community fund, saying it will not "participate in greenwashing".Little Green Change, based in Lyme Regis, Dorset, runs education projects for schools and organisations in South West England.The not-profit social enterprise said it rejected £4,825 from South West Water (SWW), accusing it of prioritising shareholders above investment to stop pollution.SWW said it was disappointed…

Drivers face three weeks of disruption as a busy section of dual carriageway closes for maintenance and repairs.The eastbound A35 Christchurch bypass in Dorset will be shut from Fountain Way roundabout from 18:00 GMT on Monday until 06:00 on 10 November.It will close westbound from Somerford Roundabout between 18:00 on 10 November and 06:00 on 17 November.The official 30-mile diversion is an hour-long route via the A338 Wessex Way, the A31 at Cadnam and the A35 via Ashurst…

Tristan PascoeDorset political reporterBBCThe Housemartin Tower and wildlife pond at Christchurch is in the middle of a housing estateAmbitious plans to bring nature into urban areas and make it "accessible to everyone" have been awarded funding in Hampshire and Dorset.The National Lottery Heritage Fund, along with partners Natural England and The National Trust, has provided more than £15m to be spent on "green projects" across the country.It hopes to attract close to £1bn of future funding to boost…